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Electrician |
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Select Alternate Year - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009
Electricians install, alter, repair and maintain electrical systems designed to provide heat, light, power, control, signal or fire alarms for all types of buildings, structures and premises.
In general, electricians:
Some electricians specialize in specific types of installations:
Electricians may be involved in construction or maintenance, or do a variety of electrical work. Electricians usually work a 40-hour, five-day week plus overtime when required. Especially in construction, there may be no guarantee of permanent work. Working conditions can change dramatically from one job to another, varying from indoors in clean conditions to outdoors on scaffolding, to indoors in cramped conditions.
There is some risk of injury from accidental electric shock.
To be successful in their trade, electricians need:
Those who install or maintain equipment in existing homes or businesses also must be neat, friendly and able to deal with customers courteously.
Electricians work for construction and maintenance contractors, manufacturers, resource companies, and other large organizations. Electricians in the construction industry may experience layoffs between projects and when the industry is in a slump. They must be willing to go where the work exists. Membership in a trade union is voluntary; however, some contractors employ only union people.
Journeyperson wage rates vary, but generally range from $25 to $40 an hour plus benefits.
Electricians may advance to positions such as foreman, superintendent, estimator or electrical inspector. Some electricians start their own contracting businesses.
In Alberta, a valid Master Electrician Identification Number is required in order to pull electrical work permits. Alberta-certified electricians may apply to the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta to become Master Electricians (see www.ecaa.ab.ca) after three years of becoming certified.
To work as an Electrician in Alberta, a person must be a registered apprentice or a certified journeyperson or hold a recognized trade certificate. (see Recognized Trade Certificates)
Electricians learn their skills by registering with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training to participate in apprenticeship training and, upon successful completion, are awarded the Alberta Journeyman Certificate.
An electrician who holds a valid trade certificate from Alberta or from another Canadian province or territory may apply to write the Interprovincial Exam and, if successful, be granted a Red Seal under the Interprovincial Standards Program. The Red Seal is recognized throughout most of Canada.
An electrician who holds a certificate that was issued by another recognized apprenticeship authority in Canada (province, territory or federal jurisdiction) may apply for an Alberta Equivalency document under the Equivalency Program.
Electricians who:
may be eligible to apply for trade certification under the Qualification Certificate Program.
Individuals possessing a valid Alberta Journeyman Certificate, an Alberta Occupational Certificate, or a credential that is recognized as equivalent to an Alberta trade or occupational certificate are eligible to receive a Blue Seal business credential after completing the necessary requirements.
The term of apprenticeship for an electrician is 4 years (four 12-month periods) including a minimum of 1500 hours of on-the-job training and 8 weeks of technical training in each of the first three years, and a minimum of 1350 hours of on-the-job training and 12 weeks of technical training in the fourth year.
To learn the skills required of an electrician in Alberta and be issued an Alberta Journeyman Certificate, a person must:
Courses in English, mathematics and physics are particularly important.
Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates and may select apprentices from among their current employees.
- during on-the-job training, apprentice electricians earn at least 50 percent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in the first year, 60 percent in the second, 70 percent in the third, and 80 percent in the fourth year.
- select an educational institution that offers training for Electrician apprentices, and a time to attend training (see Technical Training Locations and Schedule)
- determine requirements for enrolling at the selected institution, and forward completed enrollment form to the selected institution (see Enrollment Instructions)
Apprentices may attempt the Interprovincial Exam in the final period of their apprenticeship training and, if successful, be granted a Red Seal. (see Exam Counselling Sheets)
When apprentices attend technical training, they are required to pay the applicable tuition fee and purchase course supplies.
Grants, scholarships and other financial assistance may be available. More information is available at www.alis.gov.ab.ca or by contacting an Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office.
To qualify for a Red Seal, a person must:
- an Alberta trade certificate or completion of apprenticeship certificate, OR
- a journeyperson or completion of apprenticeship certificate issued by another Canadian province or territory
To qualify for an Equivalency document based on a recognized credential, a person must:
A person who has a recognized certificate, as described above, does not require an Alberta Equivalency document to work in the trade in Alberta. However, some employers may require an Alberta Equivalency document as proof that the certificate is equivalent to the requirements of the trade in Alberta.
To qualify for a Qualification Certificate based on Canadian credentials, a person must:
To qualify for an Alberta Qualification Certificate based on work experience, a person must:
Time spent on supervisory or foreman duties, counter work, heading the tool crib, or on a training course is NOT counted as ‘hands-on’ work experience.
This application fee covers the verification and assessment of the applicant's work experience hours/months as well as one attempt at the Qualification Certificate theory examination. The Qualification Certificate practical examination requires a separate fee as identified on the application noted above.
